Tri-Parish Catholic Churches of Dodge County

ROME (CNS) -- Pope Leo XIV's call for unity in diversity extends beyond greater communion within the Catholic Church and includes one's wider community, some newly appointed U.S. archbishops said.

Pope Leo has been a role model in a world marked by division, "to remind us we're all brothers and sisters and see one another as human beings," Archbishop Mark S. Rivituso of Mobile, Ala., told Catholic News Service in Rome June 29. 

"We're all part of one family," which inspires Catholics to see how they can help break down barriers, care for each other and foster unity through greater respect, compassion and kindness, he said after receiving the pallium -- a woolen band worn around the shoulders over Mass vestments.

Pope Leo gave newly appointed metropolitan archbishops their pallium in St. Peter's Basilica on the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul; the pallium symbolizes each archbishop's bond with the pope and their responsibility to care for their people and to promote unity.

Four of the 35 archbishops receiving the pallium June 29 were from the United States, and they reflected on what they are being called to do as "shepherds." 

Speaking to The Good Newsroom June 29, Archbishop Ronald A. Hicks of New York said, "As I've received the pallium, I hope that my heart is united to the pope's heart and that together we can really be disciples of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and continue to go out and make disciples."

Speaking with CNS, Archbishop Rivituso said, the pallium "reminds us to be good shepherds for those that we are so blessed and honored to serve, to serve our flock."

However, his archdiocese spans "the whole lower half of Alabama," he said, so "I not only have Catholics, but all those in that lower half that I'm called to show the pastoral care of Jesus to."

There are people in his region facing "tremendous poverty," homelessness, mental illness, domestic violence and human trafficking, he said; "So many who are out there who feel forsaken and forgotten."

"There are so many that we have to bring the care of Jesus to. And I really believe by working together, reaching out, developing relationships, fostering partnerships, we're fostering communion," the archbishop said.

Archbishop James F. Checchio of New Orleans told CNS June 29 he feels called to help people strengthen in-person, fruitful "relations and communion," given how many people are "really super involved with their phones and with their internet and kind of living this parallel life in a way." 

His archdiocese is using social media for evangelization with a new "Office for Evangelization and Communications" because so many people are online, he said. At the same time, they are gearing efforts to bring people back into an in-person community, too.

Their current nine-week program on pastoral outreach and evangelization on the Sacred Heart will culminate in a "Welcome Home Sunday" Aug. 14th, he said, "where we'll ask everybody to invite one person to come to church with them who doesn't usually come with them. Whether it's inviting someone back who's fallen away or drifted away or someone that's been hurt or someone that's searching, whatever, but to invite one person."

Archbishop James R. Golka of Denver told CNS June 28 the pallium "represents Jesus the Good Shepherd, and a bishop is called to participate in his shepherding of his flock, which is to look out for the lost and the least and to help bring them back."

He said he feels called "to be close to our Lord and to be fascinated by Jesus and want to talk about him to everybody." 

If people allow themselves to "be fascinated with Christ, you're going to fall in love with him. You're going to want to spend your life for him, and it's really fun to spend your life for the Lord,” he said. “So it sounds simple, but if we're not doing that basic thing, we're going to be lost.”

What U.S. Archbishops Said After Receiving the Pallium From Pope Leo

On the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, Pope Leo XIV June 29, 2026, Pope Leo gave 35 newly appointed archbishops the pallium, the woolen band adorned with crosses that the heads of archdioceses wear around their shoulders over their Mass vestments that...

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Leo XIV's second consistory gave cardinals from around the world an opportunity to candidly discuss issues ranging from synodality and artificial intelligence to the future of Catholic teaching on war, some participants told Catholic News Service.

The June 26-27 meeting brought together 178 cardinals to discuss Pope Leo's first encyclical, "Magnifica Humanitas", implementation of the final document on synodality and the Church's response to modern challenges. Interviews afterward suggested the College of Cardinals had substantive discussions on war, and the pope's repeated calls for honest dialogue within the Church. 

One of the most closely watched topics was Pope Leo's declaration in "Magnifica Humanitas" that the traditional "just war" theory is "now outdated."

"It was meant to be a constraint on war, not an endorsement of going to war," Cardinal Robert W. McElroy of Washington told CNS in an interview in Rome June 29.

Opening the first day of the consistory, Pope Leo condemned war as "never blessed by God."

"Therefore, war is never worthy of humanity, and it is never blessed by God, because, even if we are equipped with high-tech weapons, the Creator has endowed us with intelligence and free will to resolve conflicts as human beings and not as beasts," he said in his June 26 homily to the cardinals. 

Developed through the writings of St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, just-war theory has long held that military force can be morally justified only under strict conditions, including self-defense, legitimate authority, proportionality and the exhaustion of peaceful alternatives. The teaching has resurfaced in recent debates surrounding conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Cardinal McElroy said Pope Leo's reflection builds on decades of development in Catholic teaching, with previous popes having narrowed the circumstances under which war could be considered morally legitimate because of the destructive power of modern weapons and the immense human cost of armed conflict.

"So I think Pope Leo is bringing to bear that question now, with all this trajectory of trying to narrow the criteria for going to war," he said.

The cardinal said he believed there was broad agreement among participants that the traditional just-war framework no longer serves a productive role, while acknowledging the Church still must articulate clearly when the use of military force can be morally legitimate.

"Because I think one of the big problems is the Church has come to the recognition that basically no war is just, and it's a wrong use of terms," he said. "But there are times when military force is morally legitimate."

He said governments have increasingly treated just-war theory as a flexible political justification rather than the Church's intended "strict set of moral conditions."

Rather than revisiting the topic at future consistories, Cardinal McElroy said he expects further theological study to help refine the Church's teaching since it has become clear just-war theory has often become "a very elastic set of criteria that can easily be manipulated by governments."

Cardinal Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi of Tokyo told CNS June 29 that several participants even proposed issuing a collective statement supporting Pope Leo's position on war. Because not all cardinals were present, however, the idea was set aside, and bishops' conferences were encouraged instead to express support in their own countries.

Another major focus of the discussions was implementing synodality throughout the Church.

Cardinal McElroy said the discussions centered not on adding another program to parish life but on allowing "the principles and the culture of synodality" to permeate every level of the Church, particularly decision-making.

He said implementation has progressed unevenly around the world, in part because synodality became associated with several controversial issues debated during the Synod on Synodality.

"A number of people who didn't like the movement that was going on in those particular issues became resistant to the wider movement," he said.

This consistory, he said, instead focused on bringing synodality "into the heart of the life of the Church" at the universal, diocesan and parish levels.

Cardinal Antoine Kambanda of Kigali, Rwanda, agreed that the discussions reflected different perspectives. Asked whether there was disagreement over the meaning of synodality, he replied: "Yes, but that is part of synodality, to march through together."

Artificial intelligence also featured prominently in the discussions surrounding "Magnifica Humanitas.' Cardinal McElroy said the cardinals devoted significant attention to the encyclical and the challenges AI presents for the Church, while Vatican summaries of the working sessions showed participants framing the issue primarily through the lens of human dignity, the common good and Catholic social teaching.

Overall, the U.S. cardinal said the consistories give cardinals an opportunity to help the pope discern "where the call of the Church is, and the Spirit is leading us" on issues facing the universal Church.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- With bishops leading the way, every Christian should help build unity in the Church and the world by putting Christ at the center and drawing others near while being attentive to their needs, Pope Leo XIV said.

"Communion within the Church is not built by clinging rigidly to one’s own position, but by seeking, in all hearts, points of encounter in the truth, in whose light alone each person becomes a means of growth for another," he said during his homily at Mass on the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul June 29.

"It is important for us today to look to these two saints -- Peter and Paul -- to understand how we, in turn, can be apostles and builders of unity, and generous servants of the truth in charity," he said. 

The feast day celebration in St. Peter's Basilica included the traditional blessing of the pallium, the woolen band adorned with crosses that the heads of archdioceses wear around their shoulders over their Mass vestments and symbolizes an archbishop's unity with the pope and his authority and responsibility to care for the flock the pope entrusted to him.

The pallium, Pope Leo said, expresses "the commitment of every shepherd -- and also of every Christian -- to take upon their shoulders the brothers and sisters entrusted to them, like so many lambs of the Lord's flock, and to sacrifice their energy, time, effort and even their lives for them. They do so in order that the Gospel may reach everyone, and the whole world may find in it harmony and concord." 

According to the Vatican, 35 archbishops from 19 countries who were named over the past 12 months received the palliums. Four of them were from the United States: Archbishop Mark S. Rivituso of Mobile, Alabama; Archbishop Ronald A. Hicks of New York; Archbishop James R. Golka of Denver; and Archbishop James F. Checchio of New Orleans.

The pope blessed the palliums after his homily and after they were brought up from the crypt above the tomb of St. Peter. Each archbishop, wearing red vestments, then approached Pope Leo by the altar and knelt as the pope placed the pallium over their shoulders. Each shared an embrace with the pope and a few words.

In his homily, the pope reflected on Sts. Peter and Paul -- two very different saints who were martyred on different days and yet share the same feast day.

Pope Leo called them "two pillars of the Church," who provide important examples for today's bishops and all Christians.

St. Peter knew how to "acknowledge his mistakes and repent, without becoming discouraged and without failing in his mission to proclaim the Gospel and gather Christ's flock, even unto martyrdom," the pope said.

When a controversial issue threatened to divide the community, he said, St. Peter listened to his brothers and made a decision, guided by the Holy Spirit, that preserved communion and ushered in a new era for the entire People of God. 

St. Peter holding the keys represents his "faithful and patient concern for unity," he said, because a key doesn't break down a door, rather it "opens and closes them by finding the proper levers within and guiding their movements, so that locks may release, bolts withdraw, and doors turn freely on their hinges, thereby joining rooms together and transforming many isolated spaces into one welcoming home."

"In this light, we can interpret the mission entrusted by the Lord to Peter and his successors for the benefit of the entire holy People of God. It is a mission to listen, with his help, to the voice of each person; to discern inspirations; to guide the way; to correct errors; to instruct, encourage, exhort and accompany our brothers and sisters so that, docile to the action of the same Spirit, they may cooperate in the salvation of one another and of all humanity," he said.

St. Peter's example, therefore, "is an invitation to every Christian to become a builder of unity, placing God at the center of one’s life and drawing close to one’s brothers and sisters, attentive to their circumstances and needs," he said, so that God's message "might be fully proclaimed."

St. Paul, whose symbols are the book and the sword, is the "tireless herald of the Good News," he said.

The symbols represent the word of God being capable of penetrating and transforming even the hardest of hearts, as was seen with St. Paul's conversion, who was led away from violence and onto "the path of love," he said.

St. Augustine said, "God took the persecutor of the Church and made him a messenger of peace. He forgave him all his sins and placed him in a ministry where he could forgive the sins of others," Pope Leo added.

"Let us pray to Sts. Peter and Paul that they may sustain us on our journey of communion in the footsteps of the Savior," he said.

Keeping with a long tradition, a delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, led by Orthodox Metropolitan Emmanuel Adamakis of Chalcedon, was present at the Mass.

The pope and the Orthodox metropolitan embraced behind the altar during the exchange of the sign of peace, and they descended the stairs below the main altar to pray at St. Peter's tomb after Mass ended.

Before processing out of the basilica, the pope also stood a few moments in prayer before the dark bronze statue of St. Peter, which is clothed on his feast day with ornate vestments and a jeweled tiara. 

Sts. Peter and Paul understood and proclaimed the Gospel with their own distinctive voice, Pope Leo said before praying the Angelus with those gathered in St. Peter's Square.

Their stark differences do not make them adversaries, he said, on the contrary, "they became the symbol of the many other diversities that the one Spirit unites into a single whole."

"The patron saints of the Church of Rome experienced the challenges of communion; they knew it, served it, and proclaimed it as a sacrament of divine life," the pope said. "Their witness has contributed decisively to ensuring that the Christian presence in history is directed not toward dominion, but toward service, unity and reconciliation."

What U.S. Archbishops Said After Receiving the Pallium From Pope Leo

On the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, Pope Leo XIV June 29, Pope Leo gave 35 newly appointed archbishops the pallium, the woolen band adorned with crosses that the heads of archdioceses wear around their shoulders over their Mass vestments that...

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Opening the first day of his second consistory with cardinals from around the world, Pope Leo XIV condemned war as "never blessed by God" while urging the Church's leaders to embrace a style of listening and collaboration.

The June 26 gathering marked the opening of a two-day meeting focused on the implementation of the Synod on Synodality, the pope's first encyclical, "Magnifica Humanitas,", and the Church's mission in a rapidly changing world.

Celebrating Mass in St. Peter's Basilica before the working sessions began June 26, Pope Leo said the unity of the human family "takes precedence over individual peoples and states" and described peace as "a duty of justice."

"Therefore, war is never worthy of humanity, and it is never blessed by God, because, even if we are equipped with high-tech weapons, the Creator has endowed us with intelligence and free will to resolve conflicts as human beings and not as beasts," he said in his homily.

The remarks further developed one of the central themes of "Magnifica Humanitas," released in May, in which the pope called the traditional just-war theory "now outdated" in an age shaped by advanced weapons systems and artificial intelligence.

Developed through the writings of St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, just-war theory has long held that military force can be morally justified only under strict conditions, including self-defense, legitimate authority, proportionality and the exhaustion of peaceful alternatives. The teaching has resurfaced in recent debates surrounding conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Quoting his encyclical, Pope Leo said the Church must continue working toward a "civilization of love," offering an alternative to ideological division, violence and instability because "the Church is never partial, since she is for everyone."

Addressing the 178 cardinals who attended the June consistory, the pope said in his introductory remarks after the Mass that  "none of us is untouched by the many forms of conflict, domination and division that run through our societies today."

He also asked the cardinals to help him discern how the themes of "Magnifica Humanitas" are being received in local churches around the world.

"I am especially interested in hearing how these pages resonate in your churches, what questions they raise, what perspectives they open and what steps they suggest," he said, adding that an encyclical continues its life only when it is "received, interpreted and embodied in the concrete life of the churches."

Following the closed-door morning session, the Vatican released a summary, saying that each of the ten working groups of cardinals spoke of "suffering experienced by men and women living through this period of profound social transformation."

A consistent theme throughout the first day was the growing polarization around the world and a deepening distrust of institutions and democracy, trends that have fueled political tension and violence and have been exacerbated by the spread of misinformation. The Vatican summary also said the cardinals spoke of religious violence in many parts of the world, citing the rise of antisemitism, as well as the rise of loneliness.

Throughout both his homily and  opening address, Pope Leo repeatedly returned to the importance of listening. Known for his style of attentive listening and collaboration before his election, Pope Leo told the cardinals  the papacy "cannot be lived in isolation."

"It needs your experience, your pastoral wisdom and your knowledge of the Churches and peoples entrusted to your care," he said. "I need your support: strong, explicit and public."

The pope encouraged frank discussion during the consistory's working sessions and said he welcomed honest disagreement offered in a spirit of communion.

"I need your freedom, your candor and your loyalty," he said. "Sincere counsel is always an act of communion."

He also emphasized that the cardinals had gathered not simply to discuss the Church itself.

"We are not here first and foremost to reflect on the Church's internal life," he said.

Instead, he said, the themes before the consistory all point toward a single question: "How can we help our churches today proclaim the Gospel with greater fidelity, freedom and credibility?"

Many groups discussed loneliness experienced by both the elderly and the young, contributing to increasing rates of suicide and drug use. Some cardinals aired concerns about the societal impact of secularism.

"They noted that a growing weariness and the absence of a shared horizon of truth have made it increasingly difficult for people to recognize the dignity of others and to build authentic relationships," the Vatican summary said.

The Holy See reported that some cardinals said the Church should respond to growing social divisions by serving as a welcoming mother, acknowledging its own shortcomings and standing alongside those who suffer. They identified synodality, charity, solidarity, education, popular piety and efforts to promote peace and dialogue as hopeful signs for the Church and the world.

WASHINGTON - This week, the Trump Administration ultimately prevailed in a court challenge to its decision to end temporary protected status (TPS) for Haiti and Syria. Bishop Brendan J. Cahill, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Migration, issued the following statement in response: 

“Revoking the legal status of hundreds of thousands of people residing in our country creates a moral crisis when returning to their country of origin is not a safe or reasonable option. If we are truly to affirm the God-given dignity of every human person, we as a nation cannot turn a blind eye to such an injustice and the impossible choices it will create for families and communities. 

“Even if the Administration determines TPS is no longer warranted, deferred enforced departure remains a tool available to the President, and we urge him to exercise right judgement in this way. Forcibly sending families to dire conditions is a legacy all leaders should seek to avoid. To that end, my brother bishops and I also continue to call upon Congress to act—to meet this moment with the moral fortitude that is so desperately needed.”

The USCCB’s Committee on Migration has encouraged recent bipartisan efforts in Congress to pass legislation that would require the Secretary of Homeland Security to extend Haiti’s TPS designation. In January, Bishop Cahill was also joined by his fellow chairman in calling on the Administration to extend TPS for Haitians.

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WASHINGTON – “As rescue efforts are underway, I urge the international community to mobilize in support of the Venezuelan people, and to send the necessary humanitarian assistance to alleviate their suffering,” said Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace.

Bishop Zaidan’s statement follows:

“In the wake of the devastating earthquakes that have impacted Venezuela, causing significant loss of life and severe destruction, I offer the prayers and solidarity of the Church in the United States to our sisters and brothers affected by this tragedy.

“As rescue efforts are underway, I urge the international community to mobilize in support of the Venezuelan people, and to send the necessary humanitarian assistance to alleviate their suffering. Catholic Relief Services, the international relief agency of the Church in the United States, and its partner Caritas Venezuela, are already responding and assessing needs at this early stage. We understand the U.S. government is readying an initial response and appreciate their partnership in responding to this natural disaster. 

“Let us all join in prayer that Our Lady of Coromoto, patroness of Venezuela, will comfort and protect her children and that compassionate international assistance will arrive swiftly.”

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Participation in the Eucharist transforms believers into the Body of Christ and offers a remedy to the divisions affecting families and communities, Pope Leo XIV said during his weekly general audience June 24.

In his final general audience until Aug. 5, Pope Leo also encouraged young people to use the downtime of summer vacation to attend Mass, go to confession frequently, reflect on Scripture, go on spiritual retreats and pilgrimages and spend time with loved ones. 

"Vacation is a time for rest and to seek signs of God in the beauty of creation," he said in his remarks to Polish-speaking visitors. He also asked people to pray for students so that they may "choose wisely" the schools and universities they will attend and "discern with prudence their vocation."

Continuing his series on the documents of the Second Vatican Council, the pope focused on "Sacrosanctum Concilium," the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, explaining how the Eucharist draws the faithful into deeper communion with God and one another.

Receiving Christ in the Eucharist transforms believers into the Body of Christ, whose head is the risen Lord seated at the right hand of the Father, the pope said.

"Thus, the Eucharist is the sacrament of the Kingdom that is to come," Pope Leo said.

The Eucharist teaches Catholics to adopt Christ's way of self-giving love and to be "drawn day by day into ever more perfect union with God and with each other," he said.

"This gift draws us into the dynamic of unity, offering a powerful antidote to the forces of division that undermine our world, our communities, our families, and our hearts," he said.

The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy teaches that the faithful are called to "offer themselves in union with Jesus Christ" to the Father "through the hands of the priest and together with him," the pope said. Participation in the Eucharist also means being formed by God's word and "nourished at the table of the Lord's body."

The Eucharist cannot be separated from the Word of God, the pope said, noting that the liturgy and the Eucharist form "one single act of worship." Quoting Pope Benedict XVI, he said Scripture illuminates and explains the mystery of the Eucharist, while the Eucharist opens believers to a deeper understanding of Scripture.

"This Word nourishes and sustains us together with the Eucharistic bread and leads us from the decay of sin to new life in Christ," Pope Leo said.

Referring to the Second Vatican Council's focus on giving Catholics greater access to Scripture, the pope pointed to the Lectionary -- the book containing the biblical readings proclaimed at Mass -- as a result of the council's liturgical reform. The expanded collection of readings used in the Church's liturgies today, he said, reflects the richness of the Church's living tradition, combining "fidelity to tradition with openness to legitimate progress."

"Dear brothers and sisters, let us draw with faith from this source of divine life and allow ourselves to be transformed by the mystery we celebrate," he said.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations has released its annual survey, A Portrait of the Permanent Diaconate in 2025: A Study for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Since 2005, the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University has conducted this survey, which provides important statistics and forecasting trends on the state of the permanent diaconate in the Church in the United States. 

“Deacons continue to bring a spirit of renewal and encouragement to the missionary ministry of the Church through their service in the liturgy and works of charity expressed in everyday life,” said Archbishop Ronald A. Hicks, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations. “With nearly 15,000 active deacons in ministry in 2025, the permanent diaconate plays a vital role in bringing the Gospel to life through their witness as icons of Christ the Servant. With their primary duty of service in the Church being to proclaim the Gospel, preach, and perform charitable works, deacons serve a unique and vital ministry in the life of the Church. This annual survey is an opportunity for our faithful to recognize the work of the diaconate, pray for our deacons, and also discern if they are called to such ministry themselves.” 

The survey utilized contact information from the National Association of Diaconate Directors (NADD) and was sent to the Office of the Permanent Diaconate in the Latin and Eastern Rite (arch)dioceses and eparchies. In total, CARA received responses from 143 of the 185 (arch)dioceses/eparchies whose bishops are members of the USCCB and have an active Office of Deacons, for a 77% response rate. 

The full survey conducted by CARA may be accessed here. 

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WASHINGTON – In marking the anniversary of the Supreme Court of the United States’ ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, Bishop Daniel Thomas, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities asks for the intercession of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in building a culture of life.

“The victory of the Dobbs decision risks being undone by the massive influx of abortion pills,” said Bishop Thomas. “While the Dobbs decision gave states the freedom to pass pro-life laws and protect preborn children, these laws are now being undermined.” He continued, “The Food and Drug Administration, a government agency responsible for protecting public health, has enabled a nationwide mail-order abortion industry by allowing abortion pills to be prescribed in telemed appointments and sold both at neighborhood pharmacies and online, circumventing state laws that protect life in the womb.”

Bishop Thomas then invited the faithful to unite in prayer and action: “What can we do to help protect women and babies from the evil of abortion pills? First, pray for women who are deceived by the abortion industry. Second, share the facts about abortion pills with your friends (see one-pager). Third, take action to help protect women and babies from these dangerous drugs by sending a message to your pharmacy or to pharmaceutical companies that produce these drugs. From mid-August through the end of October, Respect Life Month, the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities will be inviting Catholics to unite in prayer and action. Please sign up and join us at https://www.respectlife.org.”

Read Bishop Thomas’ full statement here for more information and to sign up for the prayer and action campaign.

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WASHINGTON - “I commend President Trump and President Pezeshkian for taking the vitally important step of signing a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending hostilities between the United States and Iran and advancing deeper dialogue for lasting peace in the region,” said Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace.   

Bishop Zaidan’s statement follows: 

“I commend President Trump and President Pezeshkian for taking the vitally important step of signing a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending hostilities between the United States and Iran and advancing deeper dialogue for lasting peace in the region. Preventing further proliferation of nuclear weapons is critically important for avoiding a dangerous escalation of conflict in the Middle East. Echoing our Holy Father Pope Leo XIV’s expression of hope, I call on all parties to engage in good faith, and pray that ‘this agreement may help strengthen mutual trust, security and stability in the Middle East, promoting paths of dialogue and cooperation among peoples.’ 

“I call on the United States, Iran, and Israel to now also prioritize an end to the fighting in Lebanon. The disarming of Hezbollah is necessary for peace and development in Lebanon. Over one million people have been internally displaced, including 400,000 children, and thousands have fled to neighboring Syria, potentially adding to the region’s instability. If the fighting and humanitarian catastrophe continue in Lebanon, I fear that peace across the wider Middle East will remain unreachable.  

“Let us pray that the Holy Spirit, creator and vivifier, may breathe wisdom, compassion, and perseverance into the minds and hearts of the negotiators, so that peace in the region may finally become a reality.”   

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